MCE2005

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Want to start sorting out my existing media PC & get it running MCE2005
instead of just XP Pro as now...

Is anything happening with the MCE components bulk buy that was being
talked about a few weeks ago? - Or should I just go ahead and buy the
bits I need...

On a related note, I have a query about what graphics card to use... The
machine currently has a Matrox G400 in it, which I specifically chose
for its dualhead capability. This is because the media PC is in the rack
in Node 0 (which happens to be immediately beneath my lounge floor in
the cellar). I therefore have a local screen/keyboard/mouse etc via a
KVM switch for when I'm working in Node 0. The other "head" is
connected
to the VGA-in on my plasma via a 5m VGA cable. I run the card in
"dualhead clone" mode, so I have exactly the same display on both
devices, and this all works very well...

I'm not sure what will happen when I use MCE though... - I guess there
will be no change to how it operates when I'm not actually in the MCE
interface, since then it is just bog-standard XP... but it's what will
happen when I press that jolly green button that I'm not so sure
about....

Anyone know if it is possible to run two separate graphics cards in an
XP machine and NOT use the "normal" way windows treats this,
which is to
"extend the desktop" over both displays?. - Can Two separate PCI
graphic
cards be set up as clone displays of each other, to emulate the dualhead
clone setup I use now?... Would this be possible if I got a card that
has both DVI & VGA outputs on it? - Do these cards typically output on
both ports simultaneously, or does one normally have to select between
them?

Even better of course would be the ability to have two graphics cards
installed, but be able to bind the MCE interface to one of them only, so
that when the green button is pressed, the plasma in the lounge displays
the MCE interface, but the local screen in N0 stays on the windows
desktop.. - I suppose that is just a bit too much to ask though?....

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions anyone? - I really just want to retain
the ability to have a good quality windows display on the plasma, -
which by definition means NOT using a TV-out option (Also, I don't have
the cables run to the plasma for that option, and it would bugger-up
some of the remote control labelling, since the "PC" button on
the
plasma remote selects the VGA input). As well as this, I also want to
retain the local display down in the cellar for when I'm working on the
PC, so I don't have to keep running up&downstairs between the cellar
&
lounge... - And on top of all this (which I already have), I want to
switch to running MCE2005 on the box...

TIA

Paul G.